Events

In this China Knowledge Network (CKN) Knowledge Session Dr. Benjamin Blandin shared his expertise regarding Chinese maritime interests. The presentation explored the different means China employs to deny access, conduct hybrid operations and pursue its interests through so-called grey-zone tactics, with a focus on the South China Sea and Taiwan.

This report examines the extent to which Chinese economic and political influence in the CPKNL has developed and how these development relate to the geopolitical resilience and economic security of the islands. The research is based on qualitative fieldwork, interviews and desk research conducted between January and May 2026 across Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao and Sint Maarten.

CKN Coming to a University near You! We tour all our ministries regularly. Now it’s time to present CKN to Universities. Contact our team for a lecture on how we tackle the complexity of relations between Europe and China.

In this CKN knowledge session, Prof. dr. Florian Schneider (sinologist and Academic Director of the Leiden Asia Centre and Professor Modern China at Leiden University) provided insight into how people in Taiwan think about and respond to disinformation in the context of AI – and what lessons this might hold for Europe.

This was the launch event of a new CKN report titled Sustainable Built Environment Cooperation Between the Netherlands and China by Jos Brouwers and Bowen Xu.

In this CKN knowledge session, Floriske Deutman-Bodisco Massink (sinologist and chair of the Foundation for Energy Transition & Nuclear Power) provides insight into the scale, motivations, and implications of China’s nuclear ambitions.

This was the launch event of a new Clingendael China Knowledge Network (CKN) report on the emergence, networks, and challenges of new Chinese civil society organizations (CCSOs) in Europe, with a particular focus on the Netherlands.

Mingran Cao presented findings from his recent fieldwork in Yancheng, a coastal city in Jiangsu province that has undergone a remarkable transformation—from a heavy reliance on the chemical industry to becoming a leader in renewable energy development. This event was of particular interest to those working in energy, sustainability, industrial policy, and international economic development.

The development of the law of the sea in the second half of the 20th century – and in particular the extension of coastal State jurisdiction beyond the territorial sea through the regimes of the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf – has radically transformed the geopolitics of the ocean.

The internationalization of the Renminbi (RMB) is a long-term project that has evolved gradually through a series of policy initiatives, infrastructure developments, and external shocks over the past few decades. The research was implemented under the purview of the LeidenAsiaCentre and commissioned by the China Knowledge Network of the Government of the Netherlands. Conclusions and opinions are solely those of the authors.

Digital technologies are fundamentally reshaping how consumers interact with products. From smart vehicles equipped with advanced driver assistance systems to the rapid growth of consumer drone markets, connectivity and data are now at the core of modern product design and functionality.

2024 was a period characterized by uncertainty, a word frequently used in this report indeed. However, with the geopolitical changes ongoing since early 2025, we may consider uncertainty as an understatement. We are currently experiencing what seems to be a serious make-over of the rules-based international order, as we’ve known it for decades. Perspectives are changing even more than expected.